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Colorado Snowboarding: Terrain Park Paradise

Are you ready? It’s going to be epic! Colorado snowboarding terrain parks prep each fall for an unbelievable winter season. And as host to the nation's four largest halfpipe contests — Aspen's X Games, Breckenridge's Dew Tour, Copper Mountain's Grand Prix and the Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships in Vail — you know Colorado is ground zero for snowboarders.

Four terrain parks and a 22-foot halfpipe mean jibbers and shredders have more than enough variety to keep them coming back. The resort has a 20-year snowboarding tradition and the climate is perfect for creating ideal terrain park conditions.

Snowboarders are always amped when they experience the creative rails and jibs dreamed up by Buttermilk’s crew. Buttermilk, one of the four mountains that make up Aspen/Snowmass, is in constant evolution and has more than 100 features including a 22-foot superpipe. ESPN’s Winter X Games has made its home in Aspen/Snowmass for well over a decade and it was ranked No. 3 for Best Terrain Park by Transworld Snowboarding Magazine in 2014.

There’s always buzz around 60-acre Area 51, Keystone’s terrain park, that impresses seasoned boarders, but the park has enough beginner features to ensure you don’t have to go big all at once. A dedicated chair lift means you never have to leave the park.

With six terrain parks, one massive superpipe and more than 85 features, we can’t wait to shred it this year. From the Bouncer to the Rail Yard, the areas in the terrain park are named to honor the railroad history of the area.

It’s usually the 5,000 acres of terrain and the Back Bowls that gets everybody’s attention at Vail. But we’d like to suggest dropping in at Vail’s Golden Peak, Bwana or Pride terrain parks to experience awesome, well-kept features and lots of space to attempt knarly tricks.

With parks for all ability levels, Telluride makes sure everyone in the family gets to shred. Beginners and families can head to the Ute Terrain Park that serves as a perfect introduction and the progress to Misty Maiden and Hoot Brown as skills improve.

Often the first to open, Copper's 22-foot superpipe is a real crowdpleaser. The Woodward at Copper Barn, a 19,400-square-foot indoor facility with foam pits, trampolines, simulated snow and more allow riders to test their skills before launching outdoors.

With four parks — including Mavericks, a 14-acre playground with its own chair lift; Mavericks Superpipe, a 450-foot-long beast; Rabbit Ears for intermediates and Lil’ Rodeo Park for beginners — Steamboat has adrenaline-pumping terrain for everyone.

Three terrain parks, a 22-foot Zaugg-cut superpipe, more than 90 features and a beginner pipe for little ones, Snowmass caters to snowboarders of all skill levels. Every Friday from February to March, the resort's Bud Light Big Air Friday gives athletes the chance to show off their skills and creativity in a rail garden on Fanny Hill for prizes.

Build your skill level as you progress through Beaver Creek's three parks, starting at Park 101. Once you start to get used to catching some air, head to the Zoom Room for 20- to 30-foot jumps before taking on The Rodeo's rails, jibs, log slides and 40- to 60-foot jumps.

Crested Butte's three parks are carefully tended to by snowmakers, cat operators and park rangers with the goal of moving boarders to bigger and better skill levels. The big daddy, Cascade Park, has a sequence of three big jumps people talk about long after they've left the slopes, and there are even chances to get into the woods for a few surprise organic features.